Types of live music venues

So you have decided to host a live music event? Undoubtedly you will have some decisions to make about the type of venue to choose. Your budget will also impact on the venue as will the act. If you are booking a local act with a reasonable following then you will simply need a local venue such as a hall or community centre. You will be able to sell tickets at a reasonable price as these types of venues are at the lower end of the spectrum. Often the price includes a bar and facilities. One drawback of these types of venues is that they don’t tend to have any specialist sound equipment so any band that you engage will have to provide their own.

Other popular venues are local pubs. Publicans are keen to hold music events as it generates income for them through alcohol sales. Often these types of venues are available for free because of this. You may not be able to use the venue on busy nights such as weekends though as the publican may have enough trade. Some may charge for the use of the venue but for this you should expect a private area where you can hold your private event.

For higher scale events most towns/cities have theatres that seat several hundred people. A benefit of this is that they will have their own specialist music equipment and may even help you promote the event through their website and normal marketing efforts. Some may charge for this though. You will need to charge decent price for tickets so make sure you book a band that can justify the price and make sure you can cover the cost of hiring the venue which can be significant.

There are also venues that put on regular entertainment such as hotels. Many hotel chains book function bands and tribute bands throughout the year to entertain guests and have purpose built rooms that you can hire. Many people hire wedding musicians to perform at private weddings. Again, these are not always cheap but can be a good option for weddings and functions.

All of these types of venues will also have the required licences and permits such as alcohol licences and entertainment licences. This may be something you need to consider yourself if you don’t use one of these types of venues. There is certainly a lot to consider when choosing a venue for your event so look at all the issues and make an informed choice.